A. Technical Field
The present invention pertains generally to data processing, and relates more particularly to management of data between a plurality of services.
B. Background of the Invention
Recently, a number of competing and complementary social network services have been created. These social network services are generally available through web sites on the Internet. To compete, these social network sites offer different types of services or focus on different market segments. For example, some sites are more suited for connecting with personal friends, while other sites are more business-oriented. Each of these social network services typically requires a user to provide user-specific profile information. All of the sites require or store some amount of personal profile information, such as, for example, a personal summary statement, status, past experience, qualifications, interests, contact information, and the like.
In addition to services offered through Internet web sites, private sites (intranets) also provide social networking or interactive services. For example, a company may provide one or more intra-company services that include the use of user information, such as a human resources management system. The company may maintain intra-company user web pages and may provide intra-company communication applications, including instant messaging, email, bulletin boards, and the like. For users, the company services also provide additional locations in which the users must update their information.
Because the services offered by these social network sites vary, many individuals maintain accounts on multiple sites. To maintain the user's profile information, an individual must log into the sites and update the same, or related, information multiple times. For example, if a user changes her summary statement in one social network application, she must also remember to change it in all the other sites where she wants the same statement to appear.